1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a container carrier having a plurality of first receiving openings, at least one second receiving opening and a prominent integral panel.
2. Description of Prior Art
Conventional container carriers are often used to unitize a plurality of similarly sized containers, such as cans, bottles, jars and boxes, although other packages or containers may be unitized. Traditionally, bottle and can carriers having a prominent display panel are single-piece paperboard box carriers and not plastic ring carriers.
The plastic ring carrier produces a unitized package for containers using little material. However, when used alone has little or no advertising or promotional printing space. Conversely, the box carrier generally has a relatively large amount of area for promotional graphics. Disadvantageously, the box carrier requires a relatively large amount of material, permits containers to fall out if it is not maintained in an upright position, and usually shrouds much of the actual containers. Therefore, there is a need for a package that incorporates the stability and economy of a ring carrier and the promotional area of a box carrier.
Wanderer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,004 and Owen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,790 each teach a carrier that is configured to engage a top portion and a bottom portion of each of a plurality of containers. The Owen and Wanderer patents both teach a carrier having a plurality of upper rings and lower rings divided by a handle and by straps, respectively, each upper ring engaging an upper portion of a container and each lower ring engaging a lower portion of a container.
Schaich, U.S. Pat. No. 3,460,863 teaches a tubular length of material having opposing apertures for engaging with containers. The carrier taught by the Schaich patent requires an annular extrusion die or other means of manufacture of a continuous tubular length of material.